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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26007109">The Abyss</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpiKatt/pseuds/EpiKatt'>EpiKatt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Call of Duty (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blizzards &amp; Snowstorms, Concussions, Drowning, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Mission Fic, Rescue, Russia, Snow, Worry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:22:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,022</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26007109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpiKatt/pseuds/EpiKatt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometime right after Price is saved from the Gulag, Price and Soap go on a covert op into Russia to secure some intel on Makarov.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John "Soap" MacTavish/John Price</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Abyss</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I really need to stop writing at 2 am. I didn't even mean to write tonight, much less 3k all at once. Whatever lol. I hope you guys like it and excuse any errors, I didn't read through it.</p>
<p>Timeline is a little ehhh so just uh. Imagine there was more time between Gulag and Shepherd ig. </p>
<p>Title from Three Days Grace.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Soap was bloody freezing. He and Price had been selected for a covert operation by Shepherd himself to gather Intel on Makarov somewhere in the middle of bloody Russia. Soap had been reluctant to go in the first place due to Price having only recently getting out of the Gulag, but Price had convinced him to go by some rather untraditional methods.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Back to the matter at hand, however, which was it was still bloody freezing. Soap didn’t even know where they were as they’d been hugging a river for hours trying to get to their exfil point, as they’d found the Intel needed almost as soon as they got there. It’d all gone surprisingly smoothly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Currently, they were in a spot of low cover, only a few bushes and small, leafless trees on the riverside, but Soap wasn’t too worried, as the way had been fairly clear. Still, trekking with heavy gear and freezing limbs wasn’t any fun.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Price, it’s too bloody cold. When we’re back to base I’m getting in a bathtub and never getting out,” Soap declared, trying to break the sound of just crunching snow between them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price snorted, hitching his gun strap up a little. “Mind if I join, love?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I stop you?” Soap asked dryly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You, could try, but that would only prolong the inev-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sh!” Soap said suddenly, stopping in his tracks and listening. Price stopped as well and tilted his head to listen. Soap could have sworn he’d heard something… There!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Small squad coming up on our six,” Soap muttered, searching frantically for a place to hide. Price was already one step ahead of him and dived into the biggest and thickest bush he could find, and Soap was annoyed to find he could barely see Price. His eyes strayed across the river to another bush, this one was slighter bigger as well. He looked suspiciously at the ice along the river, but heard the crunching of snow and hushed voices slowly getting closer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took a deep breath to steel himself before running across the ice. He’d gotten about halfway across before there was a sudden crack beneath him, and he had hardly enough time to register an </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>before slipping under. On the way through the ice, he knocked his head against the edge and his vision swirled and darkened, leaving him disoriented as he slowly sunk down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even if he tried, Soap knew he wouldn’t have been able to tell which way was up. And with the likely Russian patrol coming, he was stuck there until he either drowned or Price got him. As it was, the cold hit him like a truck as soon as his attention diverted from the agony in his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Air escaped through his nose as the freezing water soaked him through to the bone and he couldn’t help but let out the exhale as the shock hit him. He hit the bottom but he didn’t register it, lungs beginning to scream for air that he couldn’t get. Soap reached an arm out desperately, not even sure if it was in the right direction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The cold addled his senses, or perhaps it was the air deprivation, but either way he couldn’t be sure why he finally caved and sucked in a desperate breath of air only to be met with ice cold water. He choked on it, body stiff and stiffening, as if it could sense death closing in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The last thing that registered was the cold. Always the cold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Price dived under the bush without a second thought, knowing his camouflage would do its job. What he didn’t account for was a lack of hiding spot for Soap. He knew the moment Soap saw the bush on the other side of the river and felt a small flash of panic. The ice in Russia was unpredictable, he had no idea whether it would hold up the man.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He heard the Russian’s getting closer it seemed the same moment Soap did. Watching anxiously, he saw Soap run across the ice, going well for about halfway, long enough to alleviate some of Price’s nerves, when he heard a muted </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack </span>
  </em>
  <span>and saw Soap fall through, even hearing the dull thud as his head connected with the ice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly the cold was on the back burner. Price had adrenaline racing through him, to save Soap, but he could see the Russian’s approaching and he couldn’t do anything. Price slowly counted the seconds, waiting anxiously for Soap to pop up and for him to have to clear out the approaching soldiers, but it never came so he stayed still. He fought the urge to shake his leg. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Russian’s walked right by him and hardly glanced at the hole in the ice. Price found it likely that they just thought a deer or something had fallen in. He found he was extremely lucky to have been wearing snowshoes, so their tracks were hardly visible. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price waited until he could barely hear the Russian’s joking around loudly before standing up and sprinting out onto the ice, carefully slowing down when he got near the hole. He wasted no time on discarding any items on him he could drag off quickly and tossed them onto the bank before diving into the water, lungs freezing at the shock of the cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took barely a moment for Price to find Soap’s blurry, and unnervingly still form at the bottom. He forced himself the ignore the seizing in his muscles and swam further down, grabbing Soap’s outstretched arm with numb finger and began dragging him up. It was hard enough going down on his own, but going back up with Soap? Near impossible, but Price was known for beating impossible odds and had never let it stop him before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took all his energy, and then some, before he found the hole in the ice and broke through the surface, gasping for air for only a moment before dragging himself onto the ice, already shivering hard, before pulling Soap up with him with weak arms. The ice creaked ominously but Price slid across to the bank as fast as possible. Price tried not to look at Soap’s blue lips, or how he wasn’t moving, but found it difficult. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They finally made it the land and Price took only a second to roll Soap onto his back and begin chest compressions. After a few compressions, he hurriedly leaned down and pulled Soap’s mouth open and breathed air into him before beginning compressions once again. He couldn’t help but feel how cold Soap was. Fear like when he was in the Gulag encompassed him and Price prayed. It’d never worked before, but he was desperate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He continued CPR, he did it past the point most medical personnel would call it and then some, unable to believe he could lose Soap just like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>to something so bloody ridiculous.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price finally made himself stop, something empty settling in his chest that drowned out the freezing he felt, the full body shivers wracking his body. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at Soap for a moment before turning to the sky, a single, half frozen tear sliding down his cheek and disappearing into his beard. There was a sudden noise, something akin to a gurgling and it took Price a moment to realize it was Soap. He quickly leaned forward and rolled Soap onto his side, thumping his back gently and it was only a moment before Soap gagged and water spilled out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price changed from thumping to simply rubbing, beyond relieved to see Soap expelling all the water in his lungs, coughing roughly, whole body shaking with them and his shivers. Suddenly, Price thought about how he was going to warm them up, as hypothermia was an issue. Soap quieted down, laying limp against the ground and panting roughly. Exfil was still several miles away and they had to be there at dawn. He glanced at the sky and saw it was around noon. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They could make it, but they’d need to cover some ground before he’d be able to warm them up. He glanced at the horizon and swallowed. The clouds in the distance were a light grey, and he was worried about a blizzard.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Price?” Soap rumbled, voice raw and scratchy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price quickly grabbed Soap and dragged him into his arms, wincing at the feel of both their soaked clothes. He didn’t know what to do. “Right here, love,” he murmured, rubbing Soap’s arms through the soaked fabric to try and warm him up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What ‘appened?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fell through the ice and hit your head, but we need to get going. You’ll have to wait for help, alright, love?” Price said, voice low and urgent, knowing he’d have to try and get through Soap’s concussed and frozen brain.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap was silent for a moment, shivers making his whole body shake. “Aye. I can do it,” Soap muttered. “You’ll just… have to hold me up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“ ‘Course,” Price replied. He gave them another moment of rest, tilting Soap’s head slightly to kiss his freezing cheek, anxiety curling in his gut. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price finally forced himself to stand, body quaking with his own shivers, soaked clothes and colder winds not helping. Once he was steady on his feet, he leaned down and tugged Soap to his feet as well, putting the man’s arm over his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He walked over to where he’d dumped his stuff earlier and eyed it. He sighed and gently set Soap back on the ground before leaning down and collecting it all, putting it all where it had been previously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After, he picked Soap up and began their earlier trek, resolving himself to the long haul.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was two or three hours later and they’d made surprisingly good ground, but Soap was weakening fast and the blizzard was slowly moving in, so Price knew they needed to find a place to wait out the storm, because they were close enough to the exfil point to make it by dawn if the blizzard blew over quickly enough.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price was desperate. They were nowhere near any mountains and the chances of a solitary cabin this far out was very unlikely. At this point, Price was practically dragging Soap through the snow, and snowflakes were coming in faster. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap’s shivering had stopped a while back, and Price was concerned. He was still freezing, body shaking, but hypothermia was setting in on Soap. So, Price used his last resort. He found a few trees beside each other and made his way over to it, setting Soap against the trunk before beginning to dig an alcove in the deep snow. Snow from previous blizzards and such collected on the branches before dropping onto the ground into one big pile, leaving it just deep enough to dig a small hole for the two of them to warm up in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time he finished, the snow was coming down much more frequently and his fingers were numb once more. When he was done, he crawled over to Soap and frantically checked his pulse, finding it weak but relatively steady. Their clothes were still wet, so Price pulled off his gun and all other utility items before taking his coat off as well, crawling into the hole and laying it on the ground. He came back out and stripped to his pants and boots, shivering harder as he did the same to Soap, who barely reacted. Once that was done, he pulled them both into the hole before making the exit much smaller, but large enough to let it more air and keep him updated on the blizzard.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Price could lay his tired, achy body down and relax, if only for a few hours. He couldn’t afford to fall asleep, for fear they missed the exfil, or Soap died without him realizing. The thought made him swallow nervously and roll onto his side, pulling Soap up against him to warm him up. When that wasn’t working fast enough, he began rubbing his hands up and down Soap’s arms quickly, relieved when he felt him beginning to warm up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even with the modestly sized hole letting in the frigid air, their bodies slowly warmed the little chamber up and Price began to notice Soap’s temperature raising, as well as him becoming less and less pale even as he continued to sleep. Price knew you weren’t supposed to let someone with a concussion sleep but he was pretty sure he heard somewhere else that that wasn’t true. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Looking at Soap, he decided to chance it. He needed as much rest as possible before they went the rest of the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Price dozed for a while, something outside making a noise causing him to snap back to awareness every once and a while and giving him a chance to check on the blizzard. The hole had to be reopened a few times with his boots before he noticed the wind quietening and the snow slowing. It was pitch black at this point, and Price knew how easy it would be to get lost, but he knew they needed to get a move on. He had brought a pair of NVG’s and a flashlight, so they wouldn’t be at a complete disadvantage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When the wind was finally just a light breeze, Price wriggled his way out and quickly got dressed in his cold, but dry clothes before rummaging in his pack for his NVG’s and slipping them on, but not ye activated. After, he carefully pulled Soap out and dressed him as well.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, it was time to wake sleeping beauty himself. “Soap!” he growled, shaking him roughly while slapping his face a little. Soap snapped awake, but his eyes were blurry and distant, and he was shivering only slightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Time to go, love,” he murmured, sliding his pack on and giving Soap his, watching as he slowly put it on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Soap muttered, blinking slowly. Price wasn’t surprised to see one pupil far larger than the other, but it still worried him. He shook himself with a grunt and stood up, leaning down to pull Soap up once more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon then, up you get,” he said, voice tight at the additional weight. He didn’t get a reply but Soap tightened his grip and began walking with him, if not a little shaky. Price then activated the NVG’s and continued toward their exfil point, racing the clock and Soap’s own body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They walked for hours, having to stop frequently for Soap to catch his breath and get over a dizzy spell. Price was worried, but said nothing and just rubbed Soap’s cheek in comfort, kissing it as well before dragging them on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were getting close when he saw the sky starting to lighten, the black slowly turning purple and well on its way to pink.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, love, another twenty minutes,” he urged quietly, trying to push them further. Once again, he was cursing himself for insisting they only needed one radio, which had been on Soap when he went in the water, effectively killing all communication. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap didn’t react, but his legs kept going and Price had to admire it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was closer to thirty minutes when they reached the exfil point, a large clearing among the sparse smattering of trees all around. Price dropped Soap at a tree before falling beside him, hoping the chopper would land even if they didn’t see them. Price didn’t have the energy to leave a mark for them to find.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He honestly didn’t mean to drift off, really, but it was the sound of the chopper landing that woke him up. His eyes snapped open and he immediately looked toward the sound, relieved to see friendly markings on it as it landed. He heaved himself up before doing the same and dragging them to the chopper, Nikolai waiting impatiently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once inside, Price dropped him onto a seat before turning to Nikolai. “He needs help,” Price stated, voice hoarse.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nikolai was looking at Soap with a worried expression before looking back to Price. “Da. We have some medical supplies onboard that should help until we get back to friendly skies,” he informed, pointing toward a pull-up bench. “Now, my friend, I must get back to flying. I wish him the best of luck.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price watched him go before going to the bench and digging out what was needed. Blankets, bottled water, more blankets. An IV could wait until they were somewhere safer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once more, Price stripped Soap to his pants and boots before wrapping him in several of the blankets, while leaving his own clothes on and wrapping himself in the remaining blankets and scooting close beside Soap. He settled in for a long trip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a few hours in and Price was asleep again when he felt Soap shifting beside him. He was up instantly and turning toward him, worried. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap’s blurry eyes fell on him and he grinned. “Sometimes I miss that old dick ticker of yours,” he slurred, eyeing Price’s beard thoughtfully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price couldn’t help but snort. “I’m sure. How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap hummed, eyes turning skyward as he thought. “Sorta… tired and cold… achy,” he murmured, frowning and rolling his neck. Price may have slipped him some morphine earlier.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To be expected,” Price confirmed gently, tugging Soap under his arm and into his side, feeling his warmth slowly creep in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap hummed again and closed his eyes. “You’ll be fine soon, don’t worry. Makarov won’t stand a chance against you,” Price insisted, rubbing Soap’s shoulder gently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I should be feared by all,” Soap stated, words slipping together as he slowly went further and further down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Price let himself become slowly amused, put the worry in a corner to be evaluated later. For now, they were safe. They had the Intel, so far neither of them had frostbite on any essential parts, and they’d made it out without any sort of gunfight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soap snuggled closer unconsciously, already asleep. Price kissed the top of his head gently. Yeah, they were doing alright. For now, it was.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I do so hope you enjoyed, I'm going to bed right after uploading this. Tryna get a nose piercing but we'll see how that goes.</p>
<p>This one isn't dedicated to my European friend solely on the fact that I've done it too much and I don't want her ego getting too big. Instead, I'll dedicate it to the gremlin in my closet who pays taxes and gives me rent money, nice bloke.</p>
<p>(Yes I wrote this the night after finishing my last fic I'm going through something.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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